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� Coretta King speaks at AIDS conference
Page 6
Local murder trial set for spring
ByJ. Wallner
A May jury will hear the case involving a 26-year-old local gay man who is accused of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his lover whose body was found floating in Lake Minnetonka in August.
The case will be heard before Judge Robert Lynn at 9 a.m., May 22. Court documents state the trial time is estimated to last three weeks.
John Paul Bloom, 26, alongside his father, sat outside a Hennepin County courtroom Monday, Nov. 26, waiting for Bloom�s attorney to schedule a court date for the trial.
When asked to comment on the case, Bloom sat silent allowing his father to speak for him. �He�s under instruction by his attorney not to talk to the media.�
Bloom is currently out on $350,000 bond. He previously faced a second-degree murder charge for his involvement in the death of Jason Roerick, 19, until Oct. 25 when a Hennepin County grand jury indicted him for first-degree murder. Minnesota law states that a prosecutor can file for second-degree murder. A first-degree murder, however, must be made through a grand jury indictment.
The Hennepin County Sheriffs Department arrested Bloom Sept. 16 for his connection in Roerick�s death on Aug. 12, after receiving conflicting information from Bloom during their investigation of Roerick�s drowning,
Bloom told police that he and Roerick went out to dinner and to an early show on Aug. 12, according to a court document. They then went out on Lake Minnetonka in a pontoon boat. Bloom handcuffed Roerick with two sets of handcuffs to two different anchors. Bloom said Roerick lost his balance and fell over the railing with both anchors attached.
NLGJA pulls �95 convention from L.A.
by Rachel Cold we fad fapf {fa COU-
Monday night, the 17 board mem- vendon (n California it WOUld
bers of the National Lesbian and Gay ,u u J ,
Journalist Association voted unani- ^-t)t have been pOSSlble to
mously to move the 1995 conference attract the diverse partid-
out of California. The NLGJA Board pants essential for a SUC~
acted upon the recommendation of its cessfa conference�
Los Angeles chapter, which had been J J
preparing to host the NLGJA national
convention in September, 1995. out of that state, partly at NLGJA�s urg-
The NLGJA Board of Directors were acting in solidarity with the National �In the spirit of Unity �94 and the
Association of Hispanic Journalists, spirit of diversity, we believe it is appro-
which announced November 15 that priate for us to act in solidarity with
it had voted unanimously to keep its NAHJ by moving our own convention,�
convention out of California until said Leroy Aarons, NLGJA president.
Proposition 187 was repealed -As lesbian and gay journalists we
Proposi ion 187 denies education and are committed t0 the development of
medical services to undocumented a sodety tha( va|ues every k)nd of
migrants. diversity,� said Jennifer Juarez Robles,
NAHJ said passage of the referen- NLGJA Vice President. �If we had kept
dum is �discriminatory and anti-Latino.� the convention in California it would
In 1993, when gays and lesbians *Jot have been P�ssible t0 attracJthe
were boycotting Colorado over an anti- diverse participants essential for a
gay referendum that had passed there, successful conference,
the NAHJ voted to take its convention Continued on page 3
Military policy confusing
by Jeffery Perkey
Last week Joe Steffan�s case was overturned in the district court of Washington D.C. This week, in a similar case with a different outcome, the Clinton administration won�t ask the Supreme Court to overturn the reinstatement of Keith Meinhold, a sailor who declared on television that he was gay. It sounds confusing because it is.
Meinhold�s case was under the old policy that declarations of homosexuality were grounds for a discharge. The district court in Meinhold�s case declared the policy unconstitutional. The ninth district court of appeals held the same decision. The next step would involve the U.S. government appealing to the Supreme Court which, as announced this week, it will not. Solicitor General Drew Days gave no explanation for his decision.
Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of the Service Members Legal Defense Network, says, �The decision in the Meinhold case is consistent with the decision in the Steffan case, both cases upheld that it is unconstitutional to discharge simply for making the statement �I am gay.�
�The Steffan case differed in that, the court ruled on Steffan being commissioned and receiving his diploma, not the constitutionality of the case.�
� Upcoming Christmas events
Page 11
� First week of business at Hotel Amsterdam
Page 8
Freedom Band dazzles
by Kim Ciddings
by Jeffery Perkey
Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America�s most notorious serial killers, met a fate not unlike the ones his victim�s met. Dahmer was savagely beaten to death Monday in a state prison in Portage, Wis.
Dahmer, 34, was beaten in the head and discovered in a bathroom he was cleaning. He was pronounced dead approximately 9 a.m. Monday morning at Divine Savior Hospital in Portage.
Christopher J. Scarver, 25, who is serving a life sentence is being held in Dahmer�s slaying. He is also a suspect for the similar beating of Jesse Anderson, another inmate in the prison, also found in a bathroom. Anderson survived in critical condition at a hospital at the University of Wisconsin in Madison for a few days before succumbing to the beating.
Dahmer�s death brings his prosecutor to wonder about the protection he received while in prison. During his first year, Dahmer was kept in �protective security.� Then, the prison staff concluded that Dahmer should be allowed to live among the other inmates. But in July, another inmate attempted to slash Dahmer�s throat, leaving only a scratch. It was thought there may be a unwritten code between inmates that killing Dahmer would earn them an honored place in the world of the prison.
Obviously, feelings are mixed. Some are jumping for joy, saying justice has been done. McCann, the prosecuting attorney in Dahmer�s case said, �That�s not justice. This was murder.�
But the grandmother of one his victims, Curtis Straughter, said �So you do, so you get. What goes around, comes around. That�s all I got to say.�
Serial killer Dahmer murdered in prison
The Minnesota Freedom Band led the season�s opening Holidazzle Parade in downtown Minneapolis last Friday evening
The Minnesota Freedom Band led the opener of the �Holidazzle� parade, marching over 10 blocks of Nicollet Mall last Friday. This is the first year they have been asked to play the opener, which was televised on Channel 4. The band has played in the parades for the past three years and will play three more times until Dec. 30.
Over 30 members of the band marched for 20,000 people under the direction of drum major Brian Blackard. The band played �Deck the Halls� and �Jingle Bells� dressed in sweatpants with lights, sweatshirts with lighted epaulettes and a lighted band hat. All three pieces of the outfit are plugged into the battery pack the members carry in a harness on their back. In addition to the lights, the brass players place heat packs on their valves to prevent them from freezing as they did the first year they played.
One band member said that they have been asked to play for the �Holidazzle� parade for three years-and this year, the opener, but that the Aquatennial parade does not want them. Downtown businesses organize the �Holidazzle� parades and never fail to invite the Minnesota Freedom Band to participate, she said.
The Minnesota Freedom Band will hold their holiday concert on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church. Tickets are $12 at the door.

� Coretta King speaks at AIDS conference
Page 6
Local murder trial set for spring
ByJ. Wallner
A May jury will hear the case involving a 26-year-old local gay man who is accused of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his lover whose body was found floating in Lake Minnetonka in August.
The case will be heard before Judge Robert Lynn at 9 a.m., May 22. Court documents state the trial time is estimated to last three weeks.
John Paul Bloom, 26, alongside his father, sat outside a Hennepin County courtroom Monday, Nov. 26, waiting for Bloom�s attorney to schedule a court date for the trial.
When asked to comment on the case, Bloom sat silent allowing his father to speak for him. �He�s under instruction by his attorney not to talk to the media.�
Bloom is currently out on $350,000 bond. He previously faced a second-degree murder charge for his involvement in the death of Jason Roerick, 19, until Oct. 25 when a Hennepin County grand jury indicted him for first-degree murder. Minnesota law states that a prosecutor can file for second-degree murder. A first-degree murder, however, must be made through a grand jury indictment.
The Hennepin County Sheriffs Department arrested Bloom Sept. 16 for his connection in Roerick�s death on Aug. 12, after receiving conflicting information from Bloom during their investigation of Roerick�s drowning,
Bloom told police that he and Roerick went out to dinner and to an early show on Aug. 12, according to a court document. They then went out on Lake Minnetonka in a pontoon boat. Bloom handcuffed Roerick with two sets of handcuffs to two different anchors. Bloom said Roerick lost his balance and fell over the railing with both anchors attached.
NLGJA pulls �95 convention from L.A.
by Rachel Cold we fad fapf {fa COU-
Monday night, the 17 board mem- vendon (n California it WOUld
bers of the National Lesbian and Gay ,u u J ,
Journalist Association voted unani- ^-t)t have been pOSSlble to
mously to move the 1995 conference attract the diverse partid-
out of California. The NLGJA Board pants essential for a SUC~
acted upon the recommendation of its cessfa conference�
Los Angeles chapter, which had been J J
preparing to host the NLGJA national
convention in September, 1995. out of that state, partly at NLGJA�s urg-
The NLGJA Board of Directors were acting in solidarity with the National �In the spirit of Unity �94 and the
Association of Hispanic Journalists, spirit of diversity, we believe it is appro-
which announced November 15 that priate for us to act in solidarity with
it had voted unanimously to keep its NAHJ by moving our own convention,�
convention out of California until said Leroy Aarons, NLGJA president.
Proposition 187 was repealed -As lesbian and gay journalists we
Proposi ion 187 denies education and are committed t0 the development of
medical services to undocumented a sodety tha( va|ues every k)nd of
migrants. diversity,� said Jennifer Juarez Robles,
NAHJ said passage of the referen- NLGJA Vice President. �If we had kept
dum is �discriminatory and anti-Latino.� the convention in California it would
In 1993, when gays and lesbians *Jot have been P�ssible t0 attracJthe
were boycotting Colorado over an anti- diverse participants essential for a
gay referendum that had passed there, successful conference,
the NAHJ voted to take its convention Continued on page 3
Military policy confusing
by Jeffery Perkey
Last week Joe Steffan�s case was overturned in the district court of Washington D.C. This week, in a similar case with a different outcome, the Clinton administration won�t ask the Supreme Court to overturn the reinstatement of Keith Meinhold, a sailor who declared on television that he was gay. It sounds confusing because it is.
Meinhold�s case was under the old policy that declarations of homosexuality were grounds for a discharge. The district court in Meinhold�s case declared the policy unconstitutional. The ninth district court of appeals held the same decision. The next step would involve the U.S. government appealing to the Supreme Court which, as announced this week, it will not. Solicitor General Drew Days gave no explanation for his decision.
Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of the Service Members Legal Defense Network, says, �The decision in the Meinhold case is consistent with the decision in the Steffan case, both cases upheld that it is unconstitutional to discharge simply for making the statement �I am gay.�
�The Steffan case differed in that, the court ruled on Steffan being commissioned and receiving his diploma, not the constitutionality of the case.�
� Upcoming Christmas events
Page 11
� First week of business at Hotel Amsterdam
Page 8
Freedom Band dazzles
by Kim Ciddings
by Jeffery Perkey
Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America�s most notorious serial killers, met a fate not unlike the ones his victim�s met. Dahmer was savagely beaten to death Monday in a state prison in Portage, Wis.
Dahmer, 34, was beaten in the head and discovered in a bathroom he was cleaning. He was pronounced dead approximately 9 a.m. Monday morning at Divine Savior Hospital in Portage.
Christopher J. Scarver, 25, who is serving a life sentence is being held in Dahmer�s slaying. He is also a suspect for the similar beating of Jesse Anderson, another inmate in the prison, also found in a bathroom. Anderson survived in critical condition at a hospital at the University of Wisconsin in Madison for a few days before succumbing to the beating.
Dahmer�s death brings his prosecutor to wonder about the protection he received while in prison. During his first year, Dahmer was kept in �protective security.� Then, the prison staff concluded that Dahmer should be allowed to live among the other inmates. But in July, another inmate attempted to slash Dahmer�s throat, leaving only a scratch. It was thought there may be a unwritten code between inmates that killing Dahmer would earn them an honored place in the world of the prison.
Obviously, feelings are mixed. Some are jumping for joy, saying justice has been done. McCann, the prosecuting attorney in Dahmer�s case said, �That�s not justice. This was murder.�
But the grandmother of one his victims, Curtis Straughter, said �So you do, so you get. What goes around, comes around. That�s all I got to say.�
Serial killer Dahmer murdered in prison
The Minnesota Freedom Band led the season�s opening Holidazzle Parade in downtown Minneapolis last Friday evening
The Minnesota Freedom Band led the opener of the �Holidazzle� parade, marching over 10 blocks of Nicollet Mall last Friday. This is the first year they have been asked to play the opener, which was televised on Channel 4. The band has played in the parades for the past three years and will play three more times until Dec. 30.
Over 30 members of the band marched for 20,000 people under the direction of drum major Brian Blackard. The band played �Deck the Halls� and �Jingle Bells� dressed in sweatpants with lights, sweatshirts with lighted epaulettes and a lighted band hat. All three pieces of the outfit are plugged into the battery pack the members carry in a harness on their back. In addition to the lights, the brass players place heat packs on their valves to prevent them from freezing as they did the first year they played.
One band member said that they have been asked to play for the �Holidazzle� parade for three years-and this year, the opener, but that the Aquatennial parade does not want them. Downtown businesses organize the �Holidazzle� parades and never fail to invite the Minnesota Freedom Band to participate, she said.
The Minnesota Freedom Band will hold their holiday concert on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church. Tickets are $12 at the door.